Ivan Banzeruk and Olena Sobchuk won a license for Ukraine to participate in the Olympic Games in the mixed marathon relay races in sports walking. But before proceeding to the story about the competition, let’s figure out what kind of “beast” this relay is.
The mixed marathon race walking relay is a new athletics discipline that will debut this year not only at the team world championships, but also at the Olympic Games. And in Antalya, the fight for licenses for Paris-2024 began.
(c) World Athletics
The team includes two athletes each – a man and a woman. They overcome the marathon distance – 42.195 km. Men start with 12.195 km, then 10 km for women, and another 10-kilometer stage for men and women. A bracelet, which is passed from one athlete to another within a 20-meter corridor, serves as a baton.
Up to three teams from each country could start in Antalya. Ukraine took full advantage of this opportunity: Ihor Glavan and Maria Sakharuk played for team 1, Serhii Svitlichnyi and Lyudmila Olyanovska for team 2, and Ivan Banzeruk and Olena Sobchuk for team 3.
There are no disqualifications here, but there are penalties. For three red cards, the team receives three minutes of “pit lane”, for each subsequent one – another minute.
The teams that finished among the first 22 automatically qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris. Up to five of these 22 can be teams from the same country. At the same time, the licenses are not personal.
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Olena Sobchuk and Ivan Banzeruk finished eighth (3:01:03 min) and, as mentioned above, brought Ukraine an Olympic license.
Lyudmila Olyanovska went to the final stage outside the number of the first 22. Moreover, their team with Serhii Svitlichny was the third even among Ukrainians at that time. However, it seemed that at this stage Lyudmila remembered all those failures and obstacles that haunted her during the last years, when she several times fell just short of the medals. Olyanovska bypassed one opponent after another, while avoiding cards. In the end, Olyanovska and Svitlichny took 22nd place (3:05:55)! …But among the countries that had two teams each in the first 22, Ukraine became the seventh…
However, Ukrainians are not those who give up easily. Our team is currently reviewing the protest. If the result is satisfactory for us, we will inform you about the details.
Ihor Glavan and Maria Saharuk, as well as Svitlichnyi and Olyanovska, received a four-minute penalty and took 28th place (3:07:29).
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The development of events in the fight for gold was no less dramatic. After 40 km, the Brazilian team led by Kyao Bonfia and Vivian Lira. However, Lira received a third red card and three minutes of penalty along with it. The athlete’s desperation knew no bounds, because her gap to the Japanese Kumiko Okada was minimal. And three minutes a priori meant that she would return to the track behind several more rivals.
However, Okada failed to take advantage of such a chance. In the final laps, the Italian Valentina Tarpaletti seemed to grow wings and it was she who crossed the finish line first, winning gold together with Francesco Fortunato (2:56:45). Okada with Koki Ikeda second (2:57:04). Spaniards Alvaro Martin and Laura Garcia-Caro were third (2:57:47). Lira and Bonfa are fifth (2:59:55 min).
But the real drama was the performance of the Italian team, which included two Olympic champions – Massimo Stano and Antonella Palmisano. Their team was among three that failed to finish at all…
Results of the World Team Walking Championship
Read also:
Antalya-2024: Shevchuk in the top 15, Sholomitska with a personal record and the drama of the Peruvian woman 2 km before the finish line
World Team Walking Championship: broadcast, schedule and the first RV of Ukrainians
Antalya-2024: Ruschak’s personal record and Karlstom’s triumph
